maybe it isn't hard earned? i.e, they have enough to waste
that is why it is called disposable income
Plus in this industry, it is reeeally expensive to provide ongoing content and support for a game post-launch, and alot of those hats that people pay for, a good percentage goes to community members, and map makers who work really hard in their own time to provide us with new fresh content that keeps a really good game alive for alot longer than some other mainstream titles normally last. Most new games which have MP normally have a shelf life of like 6months, then dev teams cut support and updates. We have had it for TF2 for 4 years or so! Like on AVP we stopped support after like 3 months, and the consoles are still buggy on multiplayer!
I COMPLETELY AGREE that spending 30quid to dress like a crocodile is a bit extreme, and some of the deals online for unusual hats are borderline insane...
"Hats don't affect gameplay"
Arguably yes, but also, perhaps confidence in the way you look can help your performance